We all love sweet things in our life, whether it is in food or drinks or the peace and calm that happens in being loved well. Sweet is one of the pleasures we all enjoy. Like anything in life there must be a balance. Just like there must be a balance to fat and carbohydrates and protein. January is Sugar Awareness month. Added sugars is a huge problem for us Americans. Added sugar is any food or beverage that sugar has to be added to take make it edible. Fruits and milk are not considered to have added sugar or other things that have natural sugar in them when they grow.
On average adult American’s eat 60 pounds of a sugar a year. That is 77 grams a day. Children and teens eat 65 pounds a year. That is 81 grams a day. That is 30 gallons of sugar. That amount can fill a bathtub. Our daily intake of added sugar should be 10 percent of our daily calories. The general population eats way beyond that amount in added sugar daily. We mainly get added sugar in the things that we drink.
Beverages with Added Sugar Include:
- Soft Drinks, non-diet ones
- Juice
- Sports drinks
- Energy Drinks
- Bottled Coffee
- Bottled Tea
Added sugar is anything added into a beverage or food whether it is raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, and the many different names for sugar. Summer wrote an excellent article on the names of sugar. I will include the link to that article down below in the links.
Adult Males need 9 teaspoons a day, that is 36 grams and 150 calories. Adult females need 6 Teaspoons a day. That is 25 grams. 100 calories. I can of full sugar soda is 39 grams of sugar.
Some believe that sugar started to become a commodity 8000 BCE starting in New Guinea with sugar cane. Sugar has changed throughout history to what it is today.
I want to share with you the things that will happen if you consume too much sugar.
- Weight gain happens. Studies show that people who consume more foods and drinks with added sugar. Sugar stops your leptin from working properly. Leptin is the hormone in our brain that tells us when we are full and to stop eating.
- Calcium absorption is harder especially for children and teens when they eat too much sugar.
- Increased risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death. Sugar makes inflammation worse. It also makes triglycerides increase which makes your arteries clog.
- Sugar makes getting a fatty liver easier. Having a fatty liver makes getting rid of the toxins in your body harder.
- Types 2 diabetes and all that comes with having diabetes gets worse.
- Causes acnes and skin issues. Sugar increases Androgen secretion. It also increases oil production in the pores and as I stated above increases inflammation.
- Cancer. Sugar feeds the cancer cells in our bodies.
- Depression: Sugar messes with the hormones in the body which can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.
- Accelerates the aging process. Sugar stops cells from regenerating and healing if you get too much.
Added sugar is something that we all need to be mindful and intentional about in our wellness plan. It is not easy. Sugar tastes so good, but that taste can be deceiving. Something that tastes so good you would think would be so good for you if you eat it in mass quantities. That is not true. Sugar is needed for the body to fuel the body, but it needs to be in the right amount. Excess will decrease your energy levels and hurt your body.
Tips to Control Sugar Intake:
- When baking or cooking add fruit instead of sugar.
- Opt for low sugar drinks or sugar free drinks instead of full sugar or added sugar.
- Enjoy fruit for dessert without adding sugar to it.
- Cut the amount of sugar used in recipes or better cut it out completely by adding fruit or unsweetened apple sauce to the recipes.
- Be mindful of condiments. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and other things have added sugar in them.
- Read food labels.
- Learn the name of all the sugar names out there. I am sharing Summer’s article link below.
The Wellness Works NW Team knows how hard it is to not crave or eat sugar. We love our treats. I know that Summer and Karen have decided to be mindful with their treats by having them on the weekends. That is a good solution. I know Karen is an excellent coach in helping you decide how you would like to reduce your sugar intake in your eating plan.
Here are some links I would like to share with you:
- 6 ways to reduce your sugar intake by Mayo Clinic Staff
- 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar is Bad for You by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD for HealthLine
- History of Sugar by The Sugar Association Staff
- How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body? by Locke Hughes for WebMD
- How much sugar is too much? by American Heart Association Staff
- Know Your Limit for Added Sugar by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staff
- Limit Fat and Sugar by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Staff
- The Many Names of Sugar by Summer D Clemenson for Wellness Works NW
- Image Credit: Junk food: What is it? by Giacomo Astrua for Medical Facts
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- Let’s Get Spiced Up! Cooking with Spices Instead of Salt, Fat & Sugar
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- Learning About Diabulimia?
- Learning About Intermittent Fasting
- Drinking Tea Does the Body Good!
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Jamie Holloway is a co-owner of Wellness Works NW and she is also our Research Manager and writes our Chasing Wellness with Jamie Holloway and Dear Jamie columns. Jamie is also an Independent Wellness Advocate at dōTERRA. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.
